Document Type

Poster

Journal/Book Title/Conference

USU Student Showcase; Logan, Utah; 2012

Publication Date

4-2012

Faculty Mentor

Charles Miller and Ronald Sims

Abstract

The ability to convert the carbohydrates present within algae biomass to high value industrial solvents, namely bio-acetone and bio-butanol, has been demonstrated. Clostridium sp., an obligate anaerobic, spore forming, saccharolytic, and acetone butanol and ethanol (ABE) producing microorganism is capable of metabolizing the carbohydrates present in algal cells. This metabolic activity produces acetone and butanol, in relatively high quantities, as fermentative byproducts. This has been confirmed via GC analysis of the clarified supernatant measured against calibration curves established using analytical standards. Our claim is that we can produce these high value and renewable solvents using algae biomass as well as the algae meal that is produced throughout biodiesel production processes.

Included in

Engineering Commons

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